The present invention relates generally to drawer slides, and more particularly to drawer slides with locking mechanisms.
Drawer slides are often used to extendably couple drawers within cabinets or racks within frames. Using a cabinet application as an example, drawer slides generally have one member mounted to a drawer and another member mounted to a cabinet. The two members are extendably coupled together, often by way of ball bearings, so that the extension of the drawer slide provides for extension of the drawer from the cabinet, allowing for easy access to the contents of the drawer.
Unfortunately, uncontrolled easy access to contents of a drawer is not always desired. A drawer may contain items of a personal nature, or, as may often be the case in a commercial setting, the drawer may contain valuable items. Secure storage of such items may be an important consideration, and drawer slides, with the ease of access they provide, may not be an appropriate.
More secure storage, for example as provided by a safe or a lock box, may also not always be appropriate. At times frequent and repeated access to stowed items may be required, albeit in a controlled manner. Moreover, structures associated with safes and lock boxes may be somewhat bulky, and not easily incorporated in a cabinet type structure which otherwise may be desired.